Fire-extinguisher.



No.727,174. -PATENTED MAY5,1903'..

J. M. MILLER.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER. APPLIOATION FILED mu 2, 1902.

10 Menu.

m: NGRRIS PETERS co, PHOTO-UTHO, WASHINGTON, u c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Patented May 5, 1903.

OFFICE.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,174, dated May 5, 1903. Application filed May '2. 1902. Serial No. 105,619. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. MILL R, of Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fire-extinguishers of the portable type, and refers more specifically to improvements in the mechanism constituting the discharge-outlet of an extinguisher of this character.

The salient objects of the invention are to provide a construction in which the dischargeoutlet is normally sealed by a metal cap adapted to be perforated when the extinguisher is wanted for use; to provide in a sealing mechanism of the character referred to an improved construction which enables the seal to be more securely and conveniently placed and held in position; to provide improvements in the construction which enables a used seal to be readily discharged from its seat in order that it may be replaced; to provide an improved form of seal which'is' more easily perforated, while at the same time amply strong to resist and retain a relatively high pressure, and in general to provide simple and improved details of construction in a device of the character referred to.

To the above ends the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim, and the invention will be more readily understood from the following description by reference to the accompanying drawings,

in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an extinguisher provided with my improved construe tion. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the discharge-nozzle and, outlet-pipe in assembled v minates in a fiat annular shoulder'12, formed at right angles to the boreof the nipple, and the exterior of the nipple is threaded, as

relation, the nozzle-portion being shown principally in axial section and showing also the perforating-tool in the position of perforating the seal. Fig. 3 is an axial sectional view of the nozzle member proper, taken in a plane extending through the seal-discharging punchaperture; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of my improved seals.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates as a whole the extinguisher can or receptacle,

charge-nozzle designated as a whole 5.

which, so far as its general features are concerned, may be of any approved construction, that shown herein being a common form, said extinguisher being suitably constructed to withstand a high internal continuous pressure. In the particular instance illustrated the extinguisher-can is provided with suitable filling-inlets in its bottom,which are controlled by removable screw-plugs, as indicated in dotted lines at 2 and 3, these filling-apertures being located inside of an ordinary depending baseflange 4, which extends below the main bottom wall.

Through the side of the receptacle, near the lower end thereof, is formed a suitable aperture through which is situated the dis- In my improved construction said dischargenozzle comprises a nipple-member 6, provided with a reduced portion 7, adapted to fit accurately the aperture through theside wall of the receptacle, and outside of and adjacent to the reduced portion is" formed an annular flange 8, which fits against the outer surface of the receptacle and is soldered or sweated thereto. The inner end of the nipple member is further reduced, as indicated at 9, to receive the end of the internal discharge-pipe 10, which is permanently secured to the nip ple and is of suflicientlyless diameter than the aperture'throughthe side ofithe'receptacle to enable the nozzle and outlet-pipe to be inserted after said parts are assembled. The

outlet-pipe 10 is deflected downwardly, so as i to extend adjacent to but free from the lower :end wall of the extinguisher and is desirably capped or provided with*ap'erforated extensionll, c'onstitutinga strainer.

The outer end of the nipple member 6 terindicated at 13, to receive the nozzle member 14. Said nozzle member is chambered at its engaging end and internally threaded to fit upon the nipple 6, the chamber or recess in the end of the nozzle being of sufficient depth to telescope upon the greater part of the length of the threaded portion of the nipple and to also accommodate between the outer end of the nipple and the inner endof the chamber a flat disk-like seal 15. In order that the marginal portions of the seal may be clamped accurately and securely between the end of the nipple and the opposing end of the chamber 16, the latter is desirably made to extend in a plane parallel with the end face of the nipple, as indicated clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. Both the nipple and nozzle members are provided with suitable axial bores, and the nozzle member is desirably of tapered external form, as shown.

Describing now more particularly the construction of the seal, the latter is in practice formed of lead or other suitable soft and easily-punctured metal which is capable of withstanding the action of chemicals without corrosion and has the form of a circular flat disk having a central portion 17 of considerablyreduced thickness, said portion of reduced thickness being of a diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of the bore of the nozzle. There are several objects and advantages in reducing the thickness of the central portion of the disks, among which may be mentioned the fact that by reducing the central portion the margins of the disk which take the clamping pressure of the nozzle and nipple members are reduced in surface area to such an extent that the metal yields and adapts itself to the opposing clamping-surfaces, so as to accurately seal the nozzle without the exertion of such strain upon the noz zle member in screwing the latter home as would tend to loosen the nipple in its seat. This construction of the seal also has the advantage of providing space for a bur or displaced part of the seal when the latter is punctured, thereby enabling the puncturing device to punch therelhrough much more readily than would be the case were the disk of uniform thickness and clamped throughout its entire area except the central portions exposed by the bores of the nipple and nozzle members. The reduction of the thickness of the seal also obviously makes the latter easier to puncture, while leaving it amply strong to withstand the high pressure, since the margins of the disk are of sufficient thickness to stand a considerable compression and reduction without being reduced to a thickness equal to or less than the central reduced portion.

In order to secure the most reliable sealing efiect, the sealing-disks are made to fit accurately at their margins within the cavity of the nozzle, so that they are confined against radial expansion under the compression of sealing, and it is found in practice that the forcing of the nozzle down' upon the nipple sufficiently tight to compress the seal and form an accurate and close joint results in expanding the margins of the sealing-disk into tight engagement with the walls of the chamber. This frictional engagement is also probably increased to some extent by the subsequent puncturing of the disk and forcing outwardly of the metal when the device is used, and I therefore provide improved means for dislodging the seals from the nozzle after the latter has been unscrewed from the nipple. To this end I provide a punch-aperture 18, which is formed to extend through the side of the nozzle member radially inward and obliquely, so as to open into the seal-cavity and chamber, at the outer angle of the latter, as indicated clearly in Fig. 3, thus exposing the edge or corner of the seal to the action of the punch.

For puncturing the seal when the extinguisher is to be used I provide an ordinary hand-punch 19, having a tapered point 20, adapted to pierce the seal and to expand the metal as distinguished from punching it out. Conveniently the hand-punch for breaking the seal is chained to the extinguisher, as indicated at 21, and is held when not in use in a suitable socket 22, fastened upon the exterior of the extinguisher adjacent to the nozzle.

For dislodging the seals after they have been punctured and the extinguisher used I conveniently employ a punch preciselysimilar to the punch 19, except that the acting end thereof is cut off square instead of being pointed. Inasmuch as these extinguishers are ordinarily sent to the charging plant for recharging the dislodging-punch is not usually made a part of the equipment of each extinguisher.

The use of the apparatus constructed as described is entirely obvious from. the foregoing description, but it may be briefly mentioned that this particular type of extinguisher is designed for use as a permanent pressure-extinguisher-i. e., an extinguisher in which the extinguishing liquid is charged into the vessel and the latter is thereafter charged with an expelling-gas under sufiicient pressure to discharge the liquid as soon as the seal is broken. The invention is, however, equally applicable to those extinguishers in which the pressure is generated by the mixing of chemicals within the extinguisher at the time the latter is Wanted for use.

I claim as my invention- In a fire-extinguisher, the combination of a nipple secured to the extinguisher-can, a nozzle member screwed upon said nipple, a passage-way leading from the can longitudinally throughout the combined lengths of said nipple and said nozzle, a seal-chamber formed between the opposing end of said nipple and the inner end wall of the nipple-cavity of the nozzle, a seal of soft metal having a central portion of reduced thickness, and arelatively narrow marginal portion of substantially greater thickness, fitted within said chamber so as to contiguously engage the end of the nipple and the inner end wall of the nipplecavity of the nozzle and obstruct the passageway leading therethrough, a punch-aperture formed through the wall of said nozzle member and opening into the seal-cavity in a direction radially inward and obliquely toward the removable wall of the seal-cavity, and means for forcibly piercing said seal from the exterior, substantially as shown and described.

JOSEPH M. MILLER.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. GRAVES, L. F. MOOREA. 

